Don't Wake Me
by FriendLey
Summary: Whenever Tony closes his eyes at night, he sees Pepper. It's always Pepper. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters and lines from the movie used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. I do not make any profits from it.**

 **A/N: I haven't seen the Endgame trailer and I don't have any plans to do so because I don't want to know anything when I watch the movie. But despite my efforts to avoid tagged stuff, I saw a gif of Tony inspiring this little series.**

Soft lips gently pressed against Tony's own, rousing him from sleep.

Looking strangely more beautiful than usual, Pepper was gazing down at him, a small smile on her face, the kind she wore whenever he did something amusing.

"About time you woke up. We're late."

Tony blinked groggily. He couldn't remember falling asleep the night before. His thoughts were like a thick fog he couldn't see through.

Come to think of it, he couldn't remember much of the previous day except that he had a feeling he needed to be somewhere. But where?

Slowly he sat up and that's when he noticed that Pepper was dressed.

Not that she was usually naked when she woke him, but she was _really_ dressed.

She was wearing a gorgeous white beaded gown, with tulle bunching up around her legs making her appear to be sitting on a cloud.

She laughed softly as Tony's gaze swept over her. She knew exactly the effect her appearance was having on him.

"You going somewhere, gorgeous?" Tony asked, shoving his thoughts aside for a minute and playing with the tulle.

"Yeah," Pepper feigned a frown. "I'm getting married today but my fiance's late."

Tony started. "That's today?"

"Uh-huh. And like I said, we're late."

Tony jumped to the floor, surprising Pepper, and rounded the bed.

He took Pepper's hands and pulled her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" Pepper asked when Tony ushered her out the door.

"I'm not supposed to see you before the wedding!"

"But you already have!"

Yes and Tony barely even noticed that it was a wedding dress. He's a jerk.

Tony shook his head and tapped his temple.

"Yes, that's why I'm unseeing you!" Then he closed the door just as Pepper tried arguing with a "Tony!"

"Get to the church! I'll meet you there!" Turning away from the door, he huffed. "I can't believe I'm late to my own wedding!"

With great speed, he went to his closet. Thank God his suit was where it needed to be. He really didn't have time to go around looking for it.

He gave himself a quick sniff and decided he could do without a shower.

Taking his clothes off, he said, "Friday, this is so on you. You have one job in the morning!"

"You told me to wake you when you've arrived!" replied the AI like it was more his fault than hers that he overslept.

Tony's eyebrows furrowed in between buttoning up his dress shirt. "Arrived where? Friday, I was asleep. I was arriving absolutely nowhere except the awakened state."

"Those were your orders, boss."

Snapping on his bowtie, Tony asked, "And where was I supposed to be arriving at?"

"Home."

Tony shook his head. "Doesn't make sense, Fri. Something's wrong with you. Run a sweep for bugs."

After he finished dressing up, he took the elevator to the garage.

Now he knew why he woke up feeling a little off. He was late!

He got into the car and told Friday to set the church's address in the GPS.

"And how's the bug search doing?" He asked, pulling out into the main road.

"There's nothing wrong with me, boss."

Tony made a face at the dashboard. "Friday, you told me you would wake me when I was home. And I _was_ at home. Try your location signal."

"No bugs there too, boss. My system's clean. Even language."

"Doesn't make sense," Tony said to himself.

"It's what you told me to do. I'm just following orders."

"I never ordered-when? When did I tell you to do that?"

"Last night."

"Last night? Friday, I don't-" Tony had no recollection of last night.

He sighed.

He must have been pretty wasted on the bachelor party, assuming he had one last night.

He looked at the GPS and did a double take when he saw that he was nowhere in the church's neighborhood and was following a completely different route.

"Friday, where are we going?"

"Home," she said again.

Mild panic shot through Tony. He was already late to the ceremony and if he didn't show up any minute now-Pepper's going to kill him.

"Enough with home already! Friday, I'm late!"

He did a sharp turn and headed back to the church, ignoring the GPS completely.

"Pepper's going to be furious! Just because she wasn't angry this morning doesn't mean she'll-" Tony broke off, realizing something. "Huh."

Pepper wasn't angry this morning.

He was late to their freaking wedding and she just sat there. Smiling.

Something was wrong.

Friday didn't wake him because she said her orders were to do so only when he got home.

But if he had been in bed at home and she still hadn't woken him up-

A chill ran through Tony.

"Friday?"

"Yes, boss?"

"Replay last night's log."

There was silence and then Tony heard himself in the car's speakers.

"Day 1 in space. Smurfette is still insisting we head to the nearest planet and get me some medical attention. But I told her I wasn't going to be late to my wedding because my boss is gonna kill me. That's you, by the way, Pep. And don't worry, I'm not really in need of medical aid. I can still make it. I think.

Besides, I told Blue's Clues that she can play with all of my toys if she helps me get home and she's all for it." There was a deep weary sigh and some awful sounding cough. "I'm okay. But I think I'm gonna lie down for a bit. Wake me when we're home, alright, Fri?"

The log ended and Tony sat in his car, barely registering that he was still driving albeit in some sort of autopilot mode.

Tony pulled over and realized he was already right outside the church.

Rhodey was outside, waiting for him, looking extremely harried.

"Where have you been?" he shouted at Tony who didn't answer.

He couldn't remember being in space. And who the hell was Smurfette and Blue's Clues?

Rhodey pulled him out and Tony stumbled.  
"Are you drunk? Jeez, man! You didn't even drink last night! How are you drunk?"

Tony suddenly turned to Rhodey. "We went out last night?"

Rhodey frowned at him. "Tones, are you okay?"

Tony shook his head. "I can't remember some things."

"So, you forgot you were getting married." Rhodey slowly shrugged. "I guess it happens even to the best of us. But right now, your bride is waiting at the altar for you to walk down the aisle. Let's not disappoint, shall we?"

Tony forced a nod. He imagined Pepper, looking more beautiful than this morning, waiting for him in church, hoping that image would calm him down. They were going to get married. This was it. This was his dream.

But Tony couldn't get his legs moving. It didn't feel right. This wasn't where he was supposed to be.

"Rhodes,"

"Tony,"

Tony shook his head. "I need to go home."

"Tony, nothing is more important than what's on the other side of that door. Whatever you forgot, we can get it later, alright?"

Tony shook his head, the foreign feeling rising in his chest, threatening to choke him. "I need to go home. Pepper's waiting for me. I need to-"

"Your home is right there, Tones." Rhodey pointed at the double doors. "Pepper's your home."

Feeling sick, Tony turned on his heels. He could feel the bile in his throat. Didn't Rhodey say that Tony didn't even drink last night?

Tony took in some air, hoping it'd quell the nausea.

It didn't.

Not right now! Not in his Armani suit!

In Peter Quill's spaceship, Tony abruptly woke and leaned over the bed. It didn't take long.

His stomach contracted and he threw up blood and bile on the floor.

Yep. He needed medical attention.

 **A/N: Like I said, I haven't seen the trailer and I have no plans to do so. So, this is all pure speculation. Please don't comment spoilers. Thanks.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or any of its characters and lines from the movie used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. I do not make any profits from it.**

"—Ony?"

Tony's eyelids flitted back up. The gentle scratch of fingernails on his head, giving him the satisfying feeling that massage therapists could never manage, had successfully managed to lure him to sleep.

Well, almost.

He replied to Pepper's inquiry with the softest of hums.

"You still there, honey?"

"Sorry, junior tired me out." He blinked a couple times and then let his hand rub over the curve of Pepper's bare belly.

She was naked. As was he. There was something different about their lovemaking now that Pepper was pregnant.

Pepper giggled. "Oh, I'm sorry that simply talking to the baby is making you sleepy. At least your kidneys don't have the fortunate job of being punching bag."

Tony chuckled, placing his mouth on the skin of Pepper's belly.

"Hey, stop it, alright kid? Mom's tired of going to the bathroom every five seconds."

To Pepper he said, "I could stay like this forever."

"I should have gotten pregnant a long time ago if I had known it would get you to stay still this long." Pepper giggled.

Tony rarely ever stayed put. Always flying around the city with Pepper chasing after him.

Tony kissed her belly and hummed happily.

"I didn't think we'd ever get here, you know, that you'd ever come back."

Tony sighed. Neither did he. As far as he wanted to remember it, he went to space, he didn't like it, and he came back home.

But it wasn't like that. It wasn't a field trip that he just decided he disliked and got out of.

"Sometimes it feels like I never left," he confessed. "Almost as if I'm still up there and this is all a dream."

He could see the images of battle playing out like a movie whenever he closed his eyes. If he tried hard enough, he could smell the steel and blood. Being with Pepper helped abate it, but not a lot

Pepper's hand left Tony's hair.

The loss made Tony crane his neck to look at her. She looked angry.

"If this is a dream, I'll kill anybody who tries to wake us up."

And Tony was sure she'd do it. She had killed before. Twice, in fact, to protect him.

He shook his head and moved up to lie on his side next to her, their faces inches apart, her belly touching his stomach.

"That's enough killing. We've lost too much blood already. I just want to rest, Pep. I want to stay here with you. I don't want to leave."

"We have to get out of bed someday, Tony."

"That's not what I meant." Tony debated telling her about his plans to retire. But has retirement ever really worked out for him?

"I know what you meant, honey." Pepper pressed her forehead to his.

She whispered, "Then don't leave. If being Iron Man is taking a toll on you, then stop. Don't ever leave us. Just stay." She grasped his hand and brought it to rest over her stomach.

Tony nodded, closing the gap and kissing her.

He woke up in a cold spaceship, the ghost of Pepper's kiss on his lips.

Tony shut his eyes again and turned to his side, wincing at Nebula's suture.

He tried imagining Pepper again, the color of her hair, the curve of her smile, the feel of their baby in her stomach.

Morgan.

His shut his eyes tighter.

If Pepper really was pregnant and Tony wasn't there—God, he needed to get home.


	3. Chapter 3

The two-year old ran towards the group of kids huddled by the monkey bars, his closed fist raised in front of him like he wanted to punch one of them.

And it would have appeared to be that way if it weren't for the look of pure delight on his face as he ran and the fact that the boy kept saying, "Bump?" to the other kids.

Tony supposed there were far worse things Peter could have taught Morgan like web slinging and scaling buildings. In lieu of those, Morgan learned how to fist bump.

Tony continued to watch his kid, who had finally made a friend, climb up the steps that led to a slide.

Content that Morgan would be well entertained and that Happy had an eye on him, Tony walked back to where his wife sat on a picnic blanket, fruits and sandwiches—was that wine? Bless her—laid on take out plates.

They had a great view of the playground, able to spot their son from any angle.

Who would've thought Tony would turn out to be a picnic-in-a-park-while-his-kid-played-in-the-background kind of guy?

He plopped down beside Pepper and proceeded to lie on his back on the blanket. Closing his eyes, he relished in the normalcy of his current situation.

Once upon a time, he was stuck in space, doomed to bleed out in a spaceship while a blue robot chick slapped him awake every now and then. Eating fruits was a fantasy and so was being reunited with his family.

But here he was.

Suddenly all his other dreams didn't seem so impossible to achieve.

He felt Pepper lie next to him.

"What's on your mind?" she asked him.

He turned on his side and faced her. She was propped up on an elbow, the side of her head rested on her open palm.

"I think Morgan wants a baby sibling."

Pepper raised a brow. "And did he tell you that himself?"

"He didn't need to. I'm the Morgan whisperer, remember?"

"Uh-huh," Pepper replied, unconvinced.

"He's chasing after the other kids, Pep. He's lonely. He wants to be with kids his age."

"Aren't _you_ occasionally a two-year-old?"

"Ha ha," Tony said dryly, gently nudging Pepper in her side. "But seriously." He turned on his side and propped his elbow up, mirroring her. "What do you say to another one?"

Pepper blinked and then rose to a sitting position. Tony followed suit.

"I'm serious about having 2 kids, three if we're lucky."

"I don't know. Aren't we too old to have another one?"

"There's always adoption." Tony wasn't kidding. He didn't care whose kid it originally was as long as it becomes theirs to love and care for in the end.

Kids are kids, after all.

Plus, hadn't they already unofficially adopted a lot of kids in the past? There was Harley and Peter and Happy.

Yeah, Tony probably shouldn't include Happy in the list. He'd be pissed to find out he was among the ranks of Parker and Keener.

"We could be the next Brangelina," Tony continued.

Pepper smiled. She had that look on her face as she looked at him, soft and loving.

"I mean, it's not a matter of finances. We could afford to have more kids. And we'd have time for them since I've retired. You can go rake in the dough while I play desperate househusband."

Pepper giggled but said nothing.

"I'm serious," Tony said. "Growing up, I was always on my own, surrounded by hired help and bodyguards." He made himself a user interface to talk to, for crying out loud! "Is it any wonder that I want a big family for us?"

Pepper pressed her lips together. "I'll think about it."

"But it's a pretty nice idea, right?"

"It's a dream for now, Tony."

" _This_ is the dream, Pep. I never thought I'd get here. Let alone, even escape space. But I am and that's got to mean something." Tony shrugged and looked away, his eyes landing on the kids at the playground. "Maybe I survived everything I've been through so I could have this life with you."

A hand on his made him look back at his wife.

"Are you guilt-tripping me?"

Tony smiled sheepishly. "A little bit, yeah."

Pepper shook her head good naturedly. "I'm not saying no. I'm just… Let's revisit this when Morgan's three years old."

At least she wasn't totally shutting him down.

"Okay." Tony nodded. A three-year age gap was a nice gap among siblings, after all. Family planning and all that.

He turned back to where Morgan was, now hanging at the monkey bars.

"I think we should get the little monkey off the monkey bars before he chips off a tooth."

"Relax," Pepper told him, pouring win into a cup. "He'll be fine. Besides, he'll never learn how to be careful unless he hurts himself. The two of us, on the other hand, haven't been on a date since he was born."

"That long, huh?" Tony accepted the cup she handed him.

"Yep. I don't know if you've noticed but this parenting thing is a full-time job which is why I'd like to think on baby number 2 before we commit."

Tony studied her quietly, noticing for the first time that she had traded her blazer and pencil skirts for a flowy Sunday dress, exposing all the freckles on her arms to the sun.

She rarely had time to let her hair down between running the company, being a mom, and being his wife. No wonder she's a little hesitant on growing their family.

Tony put his cup down and scooted over to her. "Listen, I'm not trying to pressure you on that second baby. I mean I'd love to have one, a girl this time with your hair. But if it isn't the right time… What I'm saying is I love you and whatever you decide, I'll back you up."

Pepper smiled and kissed him chastely on the lips. "Thanks but like I said, let's talk about this dream of yours in a year's time."

Tony smiled. "Fine by me."

He got the cup of wine and lifted it to his lips, never once taking his eyes off Pepper.

In the distance, an alarm went off, like some kind of warning of an incoming collision. Tony knew them well enough from his time as a superhero.

But he didn't dare look towards its source.

He had all he needed right here. He wasn't going anywhere. Nobody was taking this dream away from him.

 **A/N: Is he still dreaming? Is he back? I'm never gonna tell. Just kidding. He's still dreaming. Bye. Thanks for reading.**


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